Proudly presenting: The Waffle Melt

Lest you think I’m sharing a recipe that merely involves placing an egg on top of two waffles, I shall state flat out that what I’m proposing here is something far more decadent (and delicious!) than that.  I love breakfast, but I rarely indulge in anything more adventurous than a yogurt cup or a banana during the week.  By the time the weekend rolls around, I’m ready to sleep in past 7, and to celebrate with a big breakfast.  Bacon and eggs almost always feature, but sometimes we mix it up and make waffles, sometimes sausage, sometimes omelets, rarely French toast… the point being, Tony & I spend a lot of time “investigating” breakfast foods.

This past weekend, we thought it might be nice to go out for brunch (who doesn’t love brunch?), and I started looking into some of our local favorites.  Much to my dismay, I discovered that the one chicken & waffles joint in town shut down in December.  Now, I’m sure for most of you, the sound of a scratching record pervaded your consciousness when you read “chicken & waffles”, but let me tell you, it’s a wonderful combination.  Really, just a terrific mix of savory, crunchy, juicy chicken, and soft, fluffy waffles, served side by side… it’s no stranger than bacon, is it?  The mixture of savory and sweet?  So good.

Anyway, devastated that Muddea’s had closed, I realized that having set my cap at that breakfast combo, any other restaurant would bound to disappoint me that morning.  And then, in the depths of my despair, I had the flash of inspiration to do a spin on the traditional savory breakfast sandwiches I sometimes make, this time sandwiching my ingredients between two waffles drizzled with syrup and topped with an egg complete with runny yolk.  This little concoction is all me, and I decided to call it a waffle melt because it made me think of a patty melt.  Really, it’s perhaps most like a croque madame, in which I’ve swapped out bread for waffles.  And I kind of think that automatically makes this even better!

Ingredients
•    2 waffles (we have a waffle iron that we picked up cheap at the grocery store one day for about $9 that works wonderfully.  When we make waffles, we just use the boxed “Belgian waffle” mix… you could in theory use frozen waffles warmed up in the toaster, I suppose, but it wouldn’t be nearly as good)
•    2 strips of bacon OR some (thin or thick) sliced ham
•    sliced cheese (we used smoked gouda, which worked amazingly, and I can’t think of another cheese I would prefer nearly as much.  Maybe a havarti or a provolone or a swiss.  I think cheddar would be too sharp here.)
•    1 egg
•    maple syrup

Method
1.    Cook your waffles according to whatever method/direction you’re used to.  If this means popping them into the toaster, so be it.  You will want to try to slightly undercook them, as they’re going to be heated again once the sandwich is assembled.
2.    While your waffles are cooking, cook your bacon and get a pan heating over medium heat to cook your eggs.  Here’s my special bacon cooking tip: preheat your oven to 425° and line a cookie tray with tin foil.  Place your slices of bacon on the tray and cook them in the oven.  It’s so much faster and easier (and tidier) than cooking it on the stove top… you’ll never want to cook it any other way, I guarantee.
3.    Once bacon is cooked (obviously this is not an issue if you’re using precooked ham, which is what I put in my waffle melt), assemble your waffle sandwiches.  I simply placed one thick round of gouda on the bottom waffle, placed the two strips of bacon on top of it, then topped the bacon (or ham) with the second waffle.  I then placed the waffle sandwich in our griddler (aka Panini press) and smooshed them down and cooked on medium heat until the cheese melted.  [Note: if you don’t have a panini press, you could place your bottom waffles with the cheese placed on them in your oven and cook for a bit until the cheese melts]
4.    While your sandwich is cooking (i.e., while you’re waiting for your cheese to melt and get gooey), cook your egg over medium heat in a lightly buttered/oiled pan.  Your egg should take about 3 – 4 minutes to cook, and ideally your cheese should be all melted by the time the egg is cooked.
5.    Drizzle waffle melt with maple syrup (get the real stuff!) and then top with fried egg.   Taste a piece of heaven…

You'd better believe it was hard to get Tony to stop eating this and to take a picture!

I fully admit that this is a crazy decadent breakfast, but it’s so satisfying and yummy, that it’s worth the calorie bomb.  Plus, as a once per week (at most) indulgence, it’s not that bad…  Come on!  What is life if not for these moments of extravagance?

I was really pleased with how all of the flavors, savory & sweet, came together in this crazy concoction.  The melted cheese really nicely tied everything together, so don’t skip that ingredient (plus, otherwise you’re just eating a regular grand slam breakfast stacked!).  I admit that at first pass, this may sound like a weird combination of ingredients, but if you’ve ever had a monte cristo sandwich (battered & deep fried ham/turkey sandwich that is then dusted with powdered sugar and dipped in strawberry jam), you know how ingredients that don’t seem as though they should work together sometimes can pull together the ultimate taste sensation.  I think this could be one of those times.  Let’s just say, I think I’ve found my new favorite breakfast dish!  If you’re brave enough to give it a try (and have an adventurous palate), I think you’ll be well rewarded!